Residence Inn Columbia West/Lexington

After I checked out and booked a different hotel, I got a generic email welcoming me and offering to make my stay more enjoyable. I replied with what had happened, and Chris the sales manager answered, “Oh! Well sorry we had no rooms.” As a Bonvoy member, I’d expect at least some points as a basic gesture from most Marriott hotels. This one has only given me attitude, with the response that they were fully booked. The room next door caught fire, and the smell of burning plastic filled my room. I asked to move, but was told the hotel was fully booked and nothing else was available. Nobody said anything like, “We’re sorry this happened. Let’s work together to make it better.” Instead, they told me to wait until I came back much later that evening to see if anything might be available.

I find it shocking that travelers online thought this deserved a three-star rating. At best, it’s worth two stars. During colder winter weather, they apparently tried to charge $200.20 for what seemed like a simple request for an extra comforter, which I might add was never actually requested. Charging that kind of outrageous amount for something that should be a basic part of the business is preposterous. Their willingness to price gouge customers is sickening. I would never stay here again, and I hope others keep this in mind when choosing a place to stay.

The staff were great and did the best they could with what they had, but management should consider upgrading the rooms. They’re very dated, some lamps are missing shades, and the shower heads were clogged so water came through only about half the head. The little square pillows were really lumpy.

The room was clean and comfortable, and I liked that the AC worked so well. I sleep cold, so that was a big plus. I’ll definitely come back to this location when I’m in town. Emily and Dan both deserve a shoutout. Emily was a lively, pleasant, and wonderful front desk attendant. She was welcoming, positive, and very helpful when I checked in on Friday, just as the weekend was starting. You don’t always get that kind of service at hotels, even at a name like Marriott. On Saturday evening, I ran into Dan after coming back from my event. I asked where the ice machine was, and he said it was on the second floor but offered to get ice for me from the kitchen. I said I’d get it myself because I wanted to walk off the food I’d eaten. In hindsight, I should’ve taken him up on it, since the upstairs ice machine was either down or not working.